Running Away
by Shortcake99
Summary: "My life has changed so much in the last three years, I can't quite believe it. I was in LA with people who I've known since I was little and now I'm in England with none of those people, half ownership of a flat and a degree in English Literature. Who'd have thought it, eh?" One Shot. Dotty.


A/N Thank you very much to Serene Calamity for editing this for me. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Summary: "My life has changed so much in the last three years, I can't quite believe it. I was in LA with people who I've known since I was little and now I'm in England with none of those people, half ownership of a flat and a degree in English Literature. Who'd have thought it, eh?"

* * *

_Cause I, I feel like I'm ready to love_

_And I wanna be your everything and more_

_And I know every day you say it_

_But I just want you to be sure_

_That I'm yours_

_Yours – Ella Henderson_

* * *

Letty rested her head on Owen's shoulder and closed her eyes as they spun. Soft music filled the background as friends and couples occupied the dance floor. Letty had met Owen three years ago when she had arrived at Cambridge University in England. They both studied English Literature and had stuck together throughout the course and during the holidays. They were far from being a couple but both valued the other's friendship hugely.

"I hope you're not going to sleep on me," Owen joked, jolting his shoulder.

"No, just thinking," Letty replied, still leaning heavily against Owen.

"About?"

"Me, this place, everything. My life has changed so much in the last three years, I can't quite believe it. I was in LA with people who I've known since I was little and now I'm in England with none of those people, half ownership of a flat and a degree in English Literature. Who'd have thought it, eh?"

_Flashback, three years ago_

_Letty tightened the grip on her jacket and stuffed on hand into her pocket while the other one pulled her suitcase along. The British weather was considerably worse than that in California and she had a feeling that her t-shirts would need to be replaced with thick, woolly jumpers. Her flip flops and ballerina flats would also need to be reconsidered. Paying her fare to the taxi driver, Letty picked up her hand luggage and walked towards the old building. Robinson college looked like it had been there a couple of hundred years but it seemed okay from the outside. Only time would really tell. Spotting reception, Letty headed over._

"_I'm a little bit late but I have a place here," Letty said, resting her hand luggage on the desk so she could get her documents out._

"_Name?"_

"_Letty Ortiz. It might be under Leticia though."_

"_Oh yes, here it is. Here's your room key and a map of the college. I trust you already have your timetable?"_

""_Yeah, I've got that, thank you."_

"_Okay, just take a left out of here and follow it around until you get to your block," the woman finished, handing over the key and the map._

_Letty thanked her and gathered her things together. Once again, she pulled her jacket further around her waist before wheeling her suitcase to her new room. She had been placed in an arrangement that was similar to flat sharing. Everyone had their own bedroom with an ensuite while they shared the kitchen. Unlocking her door, she pushed her suitcase gently inside before heading into the kitchen._

"_Hi, I'm new here," she introduced herself. "My name is Letty."_

"_Hi, I'm Shannon," one of the girls said as she looked up. "Excuse the rollers, we're all getting ready for Freshers."_

"_Freshers?"_

"_You basically go out and get pissed. It's a way of getting to know everyone and a ritual of some sort for being accepted into university. It's good fun, well it was yesterday. You're more than welcome to join us."_

"_I think I'll leave this one out. Thanks anyway."_

"_That's fine. There's an empty cupboard for your food and bits in here somewhere. You're not allowed to go into other people's cupboards."_

"_Got it."_

"_And I love your jacket," Shannon gushed. "Where's it from?"_

"_It's not actually mine, I sort of stole it to bring here. It's a friend's."_

"_Oh right, it's gorgeous."_

_Letty brought the sleeve to her nose and sniffed it. It smelt just like him, his cologne, just the smell that seemed to follow him wherever he went. They had laid together many times wrapped in that jacket, watching a movie or just laying in silence, him running his fingers through Letty's hair and down her sides until she shrieked with laughter as it tickled. _

_Snapping back into reality, Letty waved goodbye and went back to her room._

_Present Day_

"Do you know what you're going to do now?" Owen asked. They had moved from the dance floor to the nearby bar and had just ordered a round of drinks.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you planning on staying here? I mean we have the flat but that runs out at the end of the year and after that you have no ties to England. Are you thinking about going back to America at all?"

"I really don't know," Letty sighed. "America is my home and I miss it like crazy but I have so many opportunities here and I don't want to throw that all away."

"You can't let the past rule your future," Owen reminded her.

_Flashback, three years ago_

_Letty moved her laptop onto her desk and made a mental note to buy herself a printer when she had the time to go shopping. Her room was smaller than the one she had at home but it had everything she needed. Letty pinned up a collection of photos that she had brought with her on the pin board before a knock on her door interrupted her. Calling out, a young man popped his head round the door._

"_Hi, I'm Owen. I live opposite you. I wasn't out there earlier, I've just got back from some food shopping."_

"_Hi, I'm Letty."_

"_American?"_

"_Yeah, LA."_

"_I bet you miss the weather."_

"_I do," Letty agreed. "I do a lot actually."_

"_May I?" Owen asked, pointing towards the bed. _

"_Of course, sit down."_

"_What brings you here?"_

"_A collection of things."_

_Letty went back a few months and explained to Owen had she got to studying in England. Her mother was a Cambridge graduate herself and had moved to America after meeting Letty's father. When Letty reached her last year of high school, her mum had brought up the idea of studying in England. _

"_I said no to start with. I'd only been to England once when we went to see my mum's family and I had no intentions of going somewhere that I had no idea about. My mum was set on me carrying on studying and to shut her up I applied for here. They skyped me for my interview and I got accepted and here I am," Letty explained. _

"_I hope you don't mind me prying but I feel like that isn't exactly everything that's going on."_

"_No, not quite everything. There was, is, a guy that I was in a relationship in for a while. We were semi-serious and had grown up together so we knew a lot about each other."_

"_How old were you when you started dating?"_

"_I was fifteen and everything was great."_

"_Until?"_

"_We seemed to hit a rocky patch. He wanted me to move in with him, it wasn't major because we live like five doors away from each other but to me it was just a little too soon. I had just turned eighteen, I'm not ready to settle down."_

"_And I guess you took the easy way out and thought I've been accepted into Cambridge, it's across the pond and no one is ever going see me ever again."_

"_Something like that."_

_Present Day_

"How would you feel if I sprung a little surprise on you?" Owen asked.

"It depends on what it is. If you've brought me a puppy then I will love you forever and never leave your side. I might even name the puppy after you. If it's something a bit out there then we could be having problems."

Owen looked at Letty and pulled a face. Letty looked at him and her face changed as a familiar body appeared behind him. His bald head shined in the light and his muscular arms were visible through his suit. Letty gave Owen a glare and he slowly slipped away, leaving Letty with Dom. The pair stood in silence for a few minutes before Dom leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You look beautiful," he complimented.

"Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself. Why are you here?"

"I got invited by Owen to come over."

"This isn't cheap, how can you just fly over and surprise me?"

"I have been saving since the day you left to come over and see you. But I put it off every time. I was either too nervous or I was scared of what I might find. Owen's call was just what I needed."

_Flashback, one month ago_

"_Hi, you've reached the answer phone of Dom Toretto. I can't answer right now so leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you when I can." _

_Beep._

"_Hi, my name is Owen. I go to university with Letty. I've heard some bits and bobs about your past and I was just calling to tell you that we have our graduation ball next month. You can find details online if you want to. Bye."_

_Present Day_

"How are you doing?" Dom asked.

"I'm good. How are you? How is everyone?"

"Good, we're all good. Mia got a boyfriend, Brian. He seems nice."

"I'm sure you gave him a once over first though," Letty joked. It had become one of Dom's traits to make sure that Mia, and at one point, Letty, weren't going to have their hearts broken by their boyfriends. It had led to a few family arguments from time to time.

"I did and he seems alright. How about you? Anyone on the scene?"

"No, I've been too focussed on getting my degree and creating a life for myself here."

"So you're planning on staying here then?" Dom asked, the disappointment evident in his tone of voice.

"Maybe, I don't know anymore. I have so many thoughts going around in my head at the moment."

"Letty, you know why I'm here. You know how I feel. Cut the crap and just tell me whether my journey has been wasted or not."

"I think I'm ready to love you," Letty whispered. "Before I wasn't ready, it was all too soon but now I realise that all I really needed was you."

"I don't think I quite believe you. Say again?" Dom asked, the relief clear on his face.

"We are like Kat and Alfie, we belong together and I am ready now to love you."

"I'm sorry, I know this is a serious conversation but who are Kat and Alfie?"

Letty laughed. It was the first time Dom had heard the sound in three years and his smile widened even further as he joined in. Taking her hand, Dom brought it to his lips and kissed it, looking Letty in the eyes.

"They are two characters from a soap opera that Owen introduced me to and they go through a lot of crap and other people getting involved and different places and they end up together because that is how it should be. I thought about you day and night, thinking about how rash I had been in my decision. I didn't even give you the chance to step back and say okay, maybe not now. I'm sorry for that."

"Maybe it was a little over the top but look what you've got out of it, a degree, new friends..."

"...and someone who will fly across te world to get me back. But I need to know that this is serious and that this is something that no matter how many months later will still be there. I don't want this to be a couple of months thing and then we go our separate ways. I can't deal with that all over again."

"I won't make you. I don't have every single answer for what will happen in our future but I can tell you that I won't stop loving you for a very long time. I just want you to come home with me."

"I will, but not now. I need to tie up loose ends and sort things out with the flat."

"I'll stay. I've been saving for three years to see you, I've managed to accumulate a good sum of money."

"I can't ask you to do that," Letty said. "I can't ask you give up your life to stay with me."

"You're not asking, I'm telling you."

"I love you."

_Three months later_

"I'm going to miss you so much." Owen embraced Letty in a hug and brought her close to him. They had finalised the details of the flat and they had found someone else to take Letty's room. Dom had lived with them while they packed up Letty's things and had recently sent over a containment filled with them back to the States.

"I'm going to miss you too."

"I'm losing my partner in crime. No more locking the lecturer's in the loo for us," Owen joked. He looked at Dom. "You better take care of her mate, she's a good girl."

"I will, don't worry. She managed to get away once, it's not happening again."

"Have a safe flight and hopefully I'll see you soon," Owen said, bringing Letty in for a final hug. "And don't let him hurt you," he whispered in her ear.

"I won't," Letty replied.

Back in LA, Letty and Dom exited the airport, bags in their hands and Vince's wide smile waiting for them. They had decided not to tell Mia so they could surprise her and had called on Vince to get them from the airport.

"Baby girl, long time no see," Vince greeted, throwing his arms around Letty.

"I know, too long. But I'm back now so you don't need to worry."

"Good."

"Now let's get this show on the road."

"Are you happy to be back?" Dom asked Letty as Vince lifted their bags into the boot of the car.

"Definitely."

* * *

**R&amp;R**


End file.
